The Story of Skippi Ice Pops: From Rs 11 Lakh Loss to Rs 10 Million Deal on Shark Tank

 The Story of Skippi Ice Pops: From Rs 11 Lakh Loss to  Rs 10 Million Deal on Shark Tank

Only a year ago, this husband-and-wife team lost everything owing to the pandemic-induced lockdown. Here's how they came back with a bang, grossing Rs 4 crores in sales! #StartupIndia #SharkTank #Trending

Skippi Ice Pops made history on Shark Tank India last month when it got a Rs 10 million investment. Ravi and Anuja Kabra, the firm's creators, were the first to obtain a 'All Shark Deal,' in which all five investors joined together and offered the brand a combined deal.

The show, which is based on the American Shark Tank, allows entrepreneurs to pitch their business plans to a panel of investors ('sharks,' who then determine whether or not to invest in the company. In December of last year, it made its debut in India.

Ravi and Anuja have worked in the FMCG industry in India and Australia for over a decade. Anuja holds an MBA in Human Resources, whereas Ravi has a diploma in Business Management.

After working for a number of companies, the couple decided to start their own business and returned to India in February 2020. "When we decided to take a leap in our separate careers, we already had ice popsicles in mind," Anuja adds.

"Once, while my sister was travelling from Australia to India, she packed ice popsicles to bring back with her," she continues. That's when we realised there was a gap in the market and the product had a lot of sentimental value. After conducting extensive study, we discovered that parents require a reputable brand because ice popsicles are classified as treats. We decided to launch Skippi without artificial flavours in March 2020 as parents of two children," adds Anuja.

The manufacturing facility was established, and six new flavours were released, including mango, orange, raspberry, cola, and lemon. "All of the colours, preservatives, and sweeteners were natural." Fruits and vegetables were used to extract colours and flavours," adds Anuja.

The couple put Rs 55 lakh into the development and distribution of the film. However, with the arrival of COVID-19 at the end of the month, India was placed under lockdown.

"We lost tens of thousands of dollars in rent, salary, and other expenses." Our manufacturing was halted for a year, but we were confident that once the lockdown was removed, new market prospects would emerge. "It needed a lot of patience and confidence to get through," Anuja explains.

The wait paid off when the popsicles were finally released in early 2021. According to Ravi, the initial batch was sold out in three weeks. Both traditional markets and e-commerce channels such as Amazon and Flipkart were targeted by the duo.

Entering Shark Tank

Along with 66,000 other applicants, Ravi and Anuja went through five rounds. A telephonic interview was the first step, followed by documentation, a video pitch, and an audition.

During the pitch, they concentrated on the following bullet points:

There is a void in the market for popsicles.

To brighten the atmosphere of the attendees at COVID-19, a fun product was introduced.

Address the logistical and quality issues with ice pops.

The brand's image was projected, as was their desire to be included on the Indian cricket team's jerseys.

concentrating on advertisements that have the potential to take the brand national, and then worldwide

"Just for the web platform, we had to process 21,000 orders overnight." Thousands of requests came in from investors and distributors. I once held a video chat with 800 individuals since I didn't have the time or resources to meet them in person. Our inventory has increased, and we've received offers from companies interested in establishing comparable factories in the north. "The response has been fantastic," Ravi adds, "something that my wife and I predicted even before the debut."

"The entire market has been waiting for such a fresh product," Preetesh, a distributor, says, "and now that people remember them as 'ice pepsis' from their school days, it is much simpler to sell." Skippi Ice Pops has already attracted a large following. After Shark Tank, from the market I'm fortunate to have the distribution ahead of time because I'm seeing a lot of agencies lining up to work with their brand right now."